1958-1960 Oil Pan color

[Arthur T.]

Simple question : Was the oil pan on late C1 cars primed in some color before engine assembly and painting or was is installed bare metal and then painted with the engine assembly? In either case it winds up Chevrolet Engine Orange but I'd still like to simulate the original process as much as possible.

I'd ask the same question about the front main cross brace. I have my original, it looks like it is painted Engine Orange over bare metal, though it is difficult to tell in its current condition. I need to replace mine and the repro parts are supplied in black semi-gloss, which is fine to protect the parts while they are sitting on the shelf, but it does not mimic original process.


Thanks

Art

[Mike M.]

Re: 1958-1960 Oil Pan color

i've never encountered an origiNAL sbc pan (c-1 and c-2) that was primed before chevy engine orange APPLIED(or red on the 56 265 ci sbc) . i have had many NORS pans that were painted a semi=gloss black before being placed in the GM CARDBOARD BOX. MIKE

[Arthur T.]

Re: 1958-1960 Oil Pan color

Thanks, Mike!

This is what I expected. OE was not primed, just painted orange with the engine.

I think you don't mean NORS parts. Those would not be in a GM box. Only OEM service replacement parts get the GM box. I knew the GM service replacement parts were primed in flow-coat semi-gloss black based on what I have seen. Third party supplied parts, if we can call them that, are also primed. This term has become murky since so many of the "repro" parts offered by Paragon and others are actually made from original GM tools with the cooperation of GM itself.

thanks again,

Art

[John H.]

Re: 1958-1960 Oil Pan color

I think you don't mean NORS parts. Those would not be in a GM box. Only OEM service replacement parts get the GM box.

Art -

NORS = New Old Replacement Stock - GM parts in GM boxes, not aftermarket reproduction parts.

[Mike E.]

Re: 1958-1960 Oil Pan color

Gotta agree with Mike and John on this one. NORS is GM new part that somehow differs from the part that is new GM and 100% accurate. The latter is NOS.

[Steven B.]

Re: 1958-1960 Oil Pan color

Before repainting my '57 pan the original orange had no primer under the color. 'Same with my 350's, no primer on the factory installed pans, blocks----

[Joe L.]

Re: 1958-1960 Oil Pan color

Simple question : Was the oil pan on late C1 cars primed in some color before engine assembly and painting or was is installed bare metal and then painted with the engine assembly? In either case it winds up Chevrolet Engine Orange but I'd still like to simulate the original process as much as possible.

I'd ask the same question about the front main cross brace. I have my original, it looks like it is painted Engine Orange over bare metal, though it is difficult to tell in its current condition. I need to replace mine and the repro parts are supplied in black semi-gloss, which is fine to protect the parts while they are sitting on the shelf, but it does not mimic original process.


Thanks

Art

Art-----


No engine parts which were painted with the engine assembly were ever primed before painting. It was strictly a case of engine enamel being applied over bare metal. I suppose the paint was considered "self-priming". If one attempts to prime an engine part prior to painting, one ends up with a part appearing too thick or too smooth with paint. It just doesn't appear "factory".

Believe it or not, once-upon-a-time, some GM SERVICE oil pans of the original part number were supplied painted engine orange. Of course, it might not match the particular Chevrolet orange on the rest of the engine or the Chevrolet orange one was otherwise using. Other times, the pans came out of the box bare metal. For the most part, bare metal was the rule rather than the exception.

Later on, most engine "tin" (e.g. oil pans, timing covers, steel valve covers, flywheel covers, etc.) were painted or powder coated black. These inlcuded pieces that were "NORS" for some applications (e.g. the GM #465220 oil pan when used on 67-69 Z-28 Camaro) and "NOS" for others (e.g. the GM #465220 oil pan when used on 1979 Corvette L-82). I believe the genesis of the black painted parts was GM's transition to "corporate black" and COMPONENT PAINTED engines. For the latter, each externally viewable component of the engine is painted prior to the assembly of the engine. This eliminates the need for paint shops at the engine plants.